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Data on the safety of SSRIs in pregnancy are sparse but suggest a small risk for birth defects. Two studies using maternal interviews to determine preconception and first-trimester SSRI exposure provide more data.
The National Birth Defects Prevention Study involved 9622 infants with birth defects (cases) and 4092 controls in eight states; pregnancies occurred between 1997 and 2002. Rate of SSRI exposure was 2.3% (cases, 2.4%; controls, 2.1%). After adjustment for demographics and known or suspected risk factors, SSRIs were significantly associated with anencephaly (9 cases among 214 patients with anencephaly; odds ratio, 2.4), craniosynostosis (24/432; OR, 2.5), and omphalocele (11/181; OR, 2.8). Although the primary analyses did not examin…